downpour, downfall
by crisser
Summary: Kurt and Blaine were childhood best friends. When Blaine re-enters Kurt's life 15 years later, things are complicated when the old flames rekindle. Especially since Kurt is about to get married... ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

_A/N – This is another new fic yay! It's not an impulsive headcanon like the rest of the new ones, I've actually planned this one for quite a while. I thought I would have written more by now, but I'd said over a month that I would post this the day I ended school for the summer, which is today. So yay, here's to celebrate the summer holidays with a new summer fic!_

_**Note that** Kurt and Blaine were born in the 80s in this fic, so they're not 5 years old or whatever in this chapter. It just worked better that way with the setting and story details. _

_This story will be written in 2 parts as the summary implied. Part 1 shows the young Klaine, best friends during their summer together. Part 2 is some years later (don't know exactly how many right now and I'm too lazy to count), and in a different setting. But still summer!_

_Enjoy your read! :)_

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**Part 1. **

**June, 1997**

The staring competition had been dragging on for ages, it seemed. Kurt had eaten a nice dinner with his parents like he did every night, and like every night since the summer holidays began, he was meeting Blaine. Only problem was that Kurt had dinner at six, Blaine had at seven. Even though Kurt had tried his best to make the family dinner as long as possible, time still seemed to be stuck still, too stubborn to move. He had finished his meal and even offered to do the dishes - to which his mom was surprised for, but very willing to agree on - but by the time Kurt got up to his second floor bedroom, the time was only six forty. That's why he found himself, lying sprawled out on his stomach on top of his bed, having a staring competition with his nightstand watch.

"Come on, come on, come _on_," Kurt whined, as the pointer slowly ticked round and round. He knew that time would only go slower if he didn't do anything, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want to do anything else, he just wanted the night to begin.

Him and Blaine had known each other since they were just little kids. Blaine had moved to the house a few hundred meters from his in Pumpkintown, South Carolina in the fall of '89. Kurt remembered hearing his parents talk about it, and how fun it must be for Kurt to have someone his age move in so close by. The two families had dinner together a few weeks after the Anderson family had settled in their new house, and Kurt and Blaine had met. Kurt had liked Blaine, and they had fun that night. But he hadn't seen him for months and months when they finally ran into each other at the pumpkin festival in 1990.

Since then, they had decided to become friends. It was as simple as that, after all they were only eight and seven years old. Things were easy when you were young, and things were easy for Kurt and Blaine. Almost out of accident, they became just that: _Kurt and Blaine_. Whenever someone would talk about them - parents, teachers, or any elders who knew them, really - it would always be as _Kurt and Blaine_. Kurt and Blaine are going out to play, they'll be back for dinner. Kurt and Blaine have gone biking. Have you seen Kurt and Blaine? It had come as naturally as breathing, and Kurt and Blaine were soon inseparable.

"Kurt! Weren't you meeting Blaine tonight?" his mother Elizabeth called from downstairs.

Kurt suppressed a sigh and heaved himself up on his elbows. "Not until eight!" he called back, casting a final glance at the clock. 7.32.

With fifteen minutes left until he could leave the house, Kurt's mind drifted back the weeks before school had ended. Blaine was one year younger than him so they didn't share any classes, but they went to the same school and ran into each other from time to time. Since they lived so close to each other, they often biked to school together in the mornings, and back home in the afternoons. Every day was the same: bike to school with Blaine, endure the classes, bike with Blaine to the hay field or the lake until dinnertime, eat dinner and do homework. As school ended for the summer, they were allowed by their parents to stay out longer, and therefore met after dinner as well.

Something had happened a few weeks ago, the dynamic between them had changed. They had been fooling around in Blaine's tree house one Saturday, and it had been close to dinnertime, Kurt remembered. He remembered himself getting ready to leave, to head down the ladder and go home, when Blaine had pulled his arm. Kurt had looked down at where Blaine was still sitting, eyes wide and shiny.

"_Wait," Blaine said, jerking Kurt's arm to get him to sit down again. "There's something I have to tell you." _

_Kurt did as he was told, but there was something uneasy in his stomach. He knew he should be heading home because there was only one rule in his house: be home in time for dinner. He knew that he would be late if he stayed much longer, and Blaine knew it too. And they both knew Kurt would be grounded, because it had happened one or twice before over the years. So what made Kurt uneasy was wondering what was so important that Blaine risked more of their time together, something that couldn't wait to the next day. _

"_What is it, Blaine?" Kurt asked carefully. When Blaine hesitated, worried his lower lips between his sets of teeth like he did when he was really nervous, Kurt added, "You can tell me anything, you know that. I won't tell anyone, I promise." Kurt extended his pinky, and Blaine hooked it with his and smiled shyly. _

_With another sigh, Blaine diverted his eyes and stared down into his lap but keeping his hand in Kurt's. "You can't get mad at me," Blaine said quietly. _

"_Why would I be mad at you?" It was safe to say that Kurt was getting worried. _

"_I know that you don't like when we accidentally match outfits because people think I'm copying you or you're copying me - even though they know we didn't mean to - and you don't like when people copy what you do or what you wear, I know you don't because you told me so and-"_

"_Blaine, you're rambling," Kurt interjected._

_Blaine's face crumpled slightly, and for a moment it looked like he was about to cry. His shoulders slouched and suddenly he seemed so little and so fragile. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. It looked on his face like he was trying to squeeze the words out, but when nothing came out, he closed it again. _

"_Blaine," Kurt said again, and put a hand on his cheek to make their eyes meet. Blaine was like a little brother to him, and it pained to see him like this. "Whatever it is…"_

"_I'm gay."_

_Kurt blinked a few times, making sure he's heard the words. It was possible that he'd heard wrong, because they had only been a whisper. But judging by the devastated look on Blaine's face, there was no mishearing. _

"_What?" Kurt whispered back, because it was the only thing he could think of doing. _

_Blaine's lower lips started quivering but he kept Kurt's eyes. "Don't make me say it again." _

_Kurt shook his head violently and brought Blaine into his arms as the younger boy's body was seized with shaky sobs. "Shhh, it's okay."_

_Blaine nodded feverously against his chest. "I know," he assured. "I just… this is a bit embarrassing, actually. I didn't think I'd break down like this. It's just that you're the first one I've ever told it to. I knew I could trust you with this or that you wouldn't judge, because you're gay too. And maybe you'd understand what I'm going through."_

"_I do," Kurt nodded. "But - if you don't mind me asking - what was it that made you realize it?"_

_Blaine leaned away and sat up straight. His cheeks had wet marks over them but he didn't bother wiping it away. "I don't know," he answered honestly after a moment of thought. "I mean, I guess I always knew, somehow. I've always been grossed out by girls - all guys were. Until recently when my friends have been talking about girls and boobs and sex… and I just… couldn't care less. About girls," Blaine added with a smile. "Maybe that makes me sound asexual or something, but I'm not." _

_Blaine met Kurt's eyes again, and Kurt remained silent and content with just listening. But he was surprised when Blaine suddenly started laughing. "I found mom's porn stash - the fact that she even has one is completely disgusting and I am repelled-" Blaine put his hand on his chest and acted surprised and, well, repelled, as he spoke in a mocking voice. He couldn't contain the act for long, but started giggling, and Kurt chimed in. "But I have to say it was a glorious moment when I found it," Blaine said, when the laughter had died. "All those half naked men…mhh."_

_Blaine started laughing again as Kurt punched him in the chest and blushed violently. "Blaine!" he squealed. "Oh my God! I cannot believe you!"_

_The grin - that probably was a mixture of humor and relief - was spread wide on Blaine's face as they continued joking. It was the grin that Kurt loved because it gave him lots of cute laughing wrinkles around his eyes. _

_That night had been a huge step in their friendship, and afterwards they had been closer than ever. _

It was almost an hour after the set dinner time that Kurt got home that evening, and he took the upset voices and the week of grounding without complaining or explaining. He went to his room without dinner and laid down on his bed to sleep for the night like it was just any other night. He didn't explain anything when his parents asked, just said that he was with Blaine. Blaine's words echoed through his head. _Promise not to tell anyone. Not anyone. Not until I've told mom and dad. _

"_I promise."_

OoOoO

"Kurt! Were you not seeing Blaine? I thought you had been eager to all night?"

Kurt snapped back into the present at the sound of his mother's voice. He almost twisted his neck at the speed his head turned to the clock. It was already five minutes to eight.

With more speed than what should've been possible, Kurt rushed out of his bedroom and down the stairs. His mom and dad were both in the living room, sitting on the floral couch, watching some entertainment show on the small television. "Be home by ten!" his mom called after him as he rushed out the door.

On the lawn by the front of the house was his bike tossed recklessly. Kurt lifted it by the handles and walked it over the uneven driveway and jumped on the saddle as the wheels touched the asphalt road. His house lay right by a field that nothing seemed to grow on, and far away on the other side, Kurt could see the sun beginning to set over the treetops. The sun shone in that kind of yellow it only did during the summer evenings, and it took Kurt's breath away every time even though he ought to be used to them by now.

Kurt's feet moved with the pedals as fast as they possibly could, not willing himself to miss another minute of the two short hours him and Blaine would have together. Not five minutes later, at eight sharp, Kurt rolled up in front of Blaine's house. Blaine was already outside on his bike when Kurt got there, and when their eyes met, Blaine's face shown up in a huge, teeth-revealing grin.

"Decided to show, did ya?" Blaine teased through his grin, and hopped on his bike. He started pedaling to catch up with Kurt - who had barely slowed down as he swooshed by, only replying with a stretched out tongue.

They continued in silence, speeding fast on the uneven country roads with the wind caressing their arms and legs and tousling their hair. It was such a rush, feeling the wind and the speed without anything stopping them but themselves. There weren't many cars out at this time of day anyway, so it wasn't like they could be inattentive and get into an accident.

As they kept going, Kurt slowed down a little to let Blaine slide in next to him. They slowed, because the rush of freedom had started to settle.

"So where do we wanna go tonight?" Kurt asked and turned his head up to the sky. It was still a light blue, and the few thin clouds playing in the sky were tinted with sunlight. Kurt had to turn his head back down before he became dizzy.

"I wanna go to the lake. We haven't been there since… last summer!Please, Kurt, can we go?" Blaine managed to make his sad puppy face at the end of the sentence, which made Kurt unable to say no.

"But then we have to go faster, it's a long way to go."

Almost twenty minutes later, they arrived at Lake Oolenoy. The water was incredibly still, and it seemed like it would be a calm evening. The day had been very warm like a typical pre-summer day, but not excruciating as the mid-summer. Since the sky was almost clear, the heat was disappearing quickly. Kurt, having been eager to meet Blaine, hadn't even realized he was only wearing a thin T-shirt to his shorts. His heart almost dropped as he glanced at Blaine, wearing a deep purple hoodie, but let out a sigh of relief as he noticed the blanket trapped on Blaine's packet holder. Blaine sure thought of everything.

They sat down next to each other on a small cliff by the edge of the lake. It felt incredibly nice to feel the hard stone still having a bit of warmth from the day's sun. But it was chilly in the air, and after a moment of looking out over the lake and the sun-kissed trees on the other side of the water (luckily they had the sun in their backs), Blaine moved closer to Kurt and wrapped the blanket around them.

"This is so nice. I wish we could stay here forever," Kurt purred and rested his head on Blaine's shoulder, to which he replied by pulling his arms around Kurt.

"Me too. It looks just the same as I remember it."

The distant sound of a falcon echoed in the stillness. There was a distinct little _plop_ as a small fish breached the surface of the water with its fin. A lone duck swam out in the lake, lazily and completely carefree. The nature was so beautiful, Kurt mused. And there was no person he'd rather share it with than Blaine.

As though hearing his name being mentioned in Kurt's thoughts, Blaine's head turned to the side, resulting in his lips ghosting across Kurt's forehead. Kurt looked up, surprised by the sudden closeness, and looked deep into Blaine's eyes.

What followed between the two were something peculiar that only had happened a few times over the last few weeks. There was a moment where nothing was acknowledged, where Kurt and Blaine simply stared deeply into each other's eyes, as if seeing down to the depths of their souls. Kurt didn't know what those looks meant or why they were suddenly occurring between the two more and more frequently, but he couldn't question it. He only smiled with pleasure for the things that brought the warm and fuzzy feelings to his stomach.

But this wasn't just any other look, Kurt suddenly noticed. As he kept watching, Blaine suddenly started leaning in. It didn't occur to Kurt what Blaine was doing until he felt the warm and wet press of lips against his cheek. _Blaine just kissed his cheek_. When Blaine leaned back, it was to look at Kurt's reaction. Whatever he found must've only been pleasant (Kurt was only vaguely aware of the strong twitch of his lips and the strain in his cheeks) and he decided to lean in again, this time laying a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Blaine was smiling, eyes shifting between Kurt's eyes and his lips. Kurt's heart was pounding in his chest, beating so loudly that he thought Blaine must've heard it by now. But Blaine just kept looking, looking at him like he was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. If Kurt hadn't melted already he would be a pretty big puddle by now.

The hour Kurt and Blaine had by the lake contained lots of cuddling and soft pecks and kisses across cheeks, jaws and noses, exploring the way the other person's skin felt and tasted. But not right on the lips, never the lips. They stayed like that for as long as they possibly could, wanting everything from each other.

They didn't talk much that night, content with only being and feeling the warmth and presence of each other. That often happened between the two, and it was nice to know that they never had awkward silences, but pleasant ones where they could understand each other fully without trying to explain. They just _got _each other. Kurt savored every one of those moments, and saved them in his heart to replay to himself whenever he felt lonely, knowing that Blaine would always be there.

By the time they were forced to head back, the air was almost cold and the night was almost dark. They biked in silence, and it wasn't until they pulled up by Blaine's house that they actually stopped and looked at each other. They only lasted a second before bursting out in huge grins.

"We should do that again some time," Blaine said and smirked secretively. Kurt just blushed and nodded.

"_Blaine! Is that you?_" came a voice from inside the house. Blaine's dad.

"It sucks that we can't see each other more," Blaine said quietly. "In the night time, I mean. Because that's like the most awesomest time of day."

"It is," Kurt agreed. "But we are gonna go camping, right? The fishing trip with my dad?"

"Of course. But we should do something on our own too, without our parents."

"I don't know, Blaine," Kurt said, chewing on his lip. "I mean, I'd love to, more than anything. There's just no way my parents will let me be out late on my own."

There was a hint of mischief in Blaine's eyes, just a flash, before he spoke. "Who says they have to know?"

"_Blaine?_"

"I better go," Blaine said quickly, leading his bike away and opening the white painted fence door. "Just think about it, okay?"

Kurt nodded as an answer that he would, and they parted. Kurt continued to bike home, so quickly that he almost fell a couple of times, but he was determined to make it back on time. Blaine's parents weren't as strict with rules and times as Kurt's were, and though he sometimes wished they weren't so overprotective, he wouldn't want them any other way.

As he slowly rolled over the front lawn, Kurt saw his dad through the screen door, looking out into the night already in hopes of spotting Kurt. Kurt wondered how long he'd been standing there, and actually got annoyed with him. He understood the importance of keeping curfews but, _come on_, it was just a few minutes past ten. He was fourteen already, his parents should have stopped treating him like a baby by now.

Once Kurt had parked his bike, taking his time, he strolled up to his house, making the four wooden steps crack under his feet before he got onto the porch. He cast a glance at his dad for a moment, but decided not to go inside. Instead, Kurt sat down on the hammock settee. The white cushions were cold under his touch, and as he sat down, it wavered slightly, eager to be set in motion.

His dad noticed his tentative motion, and swung the screen door open with one hand. The door whistled the way it always did when it was being pushed, the familiarity of it all seizing Kurt by the shoulders and shaking him aware. There was something gloomy in the air, and even though Kurt couldn't wait to explore all the secrets that the night kept from sight, he felt like it was all so temporary. He knew summer always went by with the blink of an eye, and he knew you had to make the most of it before it was over.

Burt sat down next to him, placing his hands on his knees as he lowered himself next to Kurt. The hammock wobbled at the sudden contact, and Burt leaned back in his seat, throwing his arm over the back of it, almost over Kurt's shoulders.

"Something bothering you, kid?" he asked after a minute, keeping his feet on the ground and rocking the hammock into a gentle rhythm.

Kurt sighed heavily. "Dad, you and mom _have to _stop being so anxious about me all the time! I'm fine, I can take care of myself!"

"We know you can, Kurt," Burt replied, placing a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. "We're just looking out for you, making sure nothing bad happens. We might not live in a city where you have to worry about traffic and serial killers, but we do live in the woods. And one thing I known about 'em, Kurt, growing up in them, they can be real dangerous sometimes. I just want you boys to be on the lookout. When you're young you think you're just out and having fun, you're not on the lookout. I've told you what happened to uncle Jack."

"Yes, dad," Kurt said, frustrated. How he could ever forget when he was constantly being reminded was beyond his capability to comprehend.

"Kurt, I'm serious. Neither Jack nor I ever saw that snake coming, because we didn't take our parents' words seriously, because we were young and rebellious, we thought we were invincible. But it cost Jack his life."

"I know, dad," Kurt said, more quietly this time. "And I'm sorry, I am. But that's never going to happen to Blaine and I, because we _are _careful. We know the risks." For a moment, Kurt was hit by a wave of thoughts, wondering if this what his sex talk with dad would be like when they eventually had it. Kurt was glad it was dark, because the blush on his cheeks or his train of thought weren't appropriate in a conversation like this.

"Your mom and I are just looking out for you, and Blaine," Burt said mildly, smiling at his son. "It's strange, seeing you all so grown up, I guess we're not used to it yet. Time goes so fast. So fast, Kurt. It's a bit hard for us to keep up with it. Hell, next thing you're gonna be tellin' me you have a boyfriend!"

If Kurt had been blushing before, it was nothing compared to now. Without warning, Kurt rose from the hammock, rubbing his cool arms. He mouthed a goodnight to his dad and gave him a faint smile before heading inside. He set his mind on going directly up to his room, knowing his mom would have a similar talk to him if she saw him.

He practically skipped up the stairs, taking two or even three steps at a time, feeling giddy and grinning widely over what his dad had said. _A boyfriend_. Kurt wondered what it felt like to have a real boyfriend. He thought back to the evening he'd just had with Blaine, glowing inside and out with happiness, happy that no one could see him. He wondered if Blaine wanted to be his boyfriend like he wanted to be Blaine's.

When Kurt threw himself onto the bed that night, the smile was still in place, strong as ever. He couldn't wait for tomorrow, and the tomorrows of the rest of the summer, the summer he would have with Blaine.

It wasn't the first summer they'd spent day in and day out with each other, but for some reason Kurt couldn't explain, nor did he attempt to, he felt like it was the essential one. And right now, when it was only mid-June, Kurt didn't allow himself to think about how dull things would be when summer ended and school began once again, only the days of summer he had ahead. The days he had with Blaine.

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_Klaine is love  
__Reviews are too  
__So leave one, yeah?  
__And I will love you._

Happy holidays everyone!


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N - So I'm back! Sorry it took a while to get up, I was away for a week without any Internet. But I'm back now! Enjoy!_

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**Part 1.**

**July, 1997**

If the moon was just another rock, if the deep blue sky wasn't quite so infinite, if the stars lighting up the sky were just sprinkles of white snow waiting to fall, then maybe Kurt wouldn't be feeling as ecstatic as he was. But he'd never know, because all of those things were what they were, as incredible and magnificent as they seemed to be.

Kurt was lying on his side in his bed, under the covers and watching the dark sky with thoughts of how wonderful it all was, the abstract things that he'd never fully know for sure were real, or just another fantasy to make one dream. Kurt dreamed. He dreamed that one day, hopefully in a long time, he'd be soaring weightlessly among the stars, looking down on the earth and thinking of how he'd ever be able to see things from the other side.

There was a distant sound being registered in Kurt's mind, the one of footsteps in the hallway between the bathroom and his parents' bedroom, the closing of a door and the rustling of sheets.

Kurt smiled. His parents had finally gone to bed.

He waited impatiently as the time he was waiting for drew close. It wasn't long until he could hear loud snoring from his dad in the next room, and it was then that he felt brave enough to slip out of his bed.

As quietly as he could, Kurt slipped out of his striped pajama bottoms and into a tight pair of jeans. He took a pair of rubber flip flops in his hand, not caring that it would get cold, and pulled a college sweater over the t-shirt he slept in.

As he stood on the top of the stairs, he finally realized there was a problem. How on earth would he be able to walk down the flight of stairs, without being heard, on the staircase where every step turned into a creaking symphony? Kurt had no idea. He took a light and careful first step while holding his breath, and as he put his weight on it, he closed his eyes tightly.

If he hadn't known how loud the old staircase was, he would've thought that it was mocking him, wanting him to get discovered. It was as if it was twice as loud just because he was trying to be quiet. He knew that it wouldn't be quieter no matter how gentle he was, so instead he took a deep breath and carefully but quickly took two steps downwards.

By the time he was on the first floor, Kurt turned his head up and listened to any indication that his parents had woken up. There was a slight ringing in his ears from the sudden quiet, but he took it as a good sign. Still, he knew that if his mom or dad had heard him go down, they would lie awake until they heard him go up again. If they didn't hear it, the couple would force themselves out of bed to see what was taking him so long to ascend back up into his bedroom. Kurt knew it would happen, it already had. More than once.

The kitchen was as still as the rest of the house. It was rather bizarre, because it wasn't often he saw the house that way. To him, it was always full of sounds. Whether it was the television beaming, his dad working on something, or his mom cooking or singing. Maybe even her playing piano or perhaps talking on the phone with one of her friends. It was never this quiet and still. Kurt was rarely - if ever - the last one to go to bed. Only the occasional water glass he craved as he woke up in the night would bring him to see this side of the house. He was rather fond of it, seeing how different one thing alone could be.

That was the difference between night and day, Kurt thought. The night is still, quiet and unexplored. Then he smiled. That was about to change.

He opened the fridge and picked out the things he was looking for in a heartbeat, knowing their exact place by heart. Butter, cheese and ham were all on the same shelf, and Kurt filled his hands with them. He was about to close the fridge door when he hesitated, seeing the plum red tomato. He picked it up in his hand, turned it in his palm and inspected it in the dim light of the fridge lamp. The tomato was spotless and without flaw.

Kurt bent down and dug around a cabinet for the picnic basket his mom had bought the summer before, and the inside he filled with the foods he had picked out, the necessary cutlery, four of his mom's freshly baked garlic rolls, and two packs of orange flavored Capri Suns. The basket was practically full by the time he had finished, snatching a few cookies from the jar on the top shelf before deciding he was finished.

Kurt and Blaine had decided to meet at midnight by Sally Rae's grocery shop. Midnight had seemed so perfect, like it was the time when secret meetings were supposed to take place. Even Cinderella had her midnight escapade, although Kurt didn't feel very much like a fairytale princess.

Grabbing the basket in one hand and his flips flops in the other, Kurt tiptoed across the living room and through the front door, suddenly aware of everything that made the slightest of sounds. But to Kurt's defense, that screen door could've had a decibel competition with the staircase…

Kurt crossed the lawn barefoot, only slipping his feet into the sandals when he reached the graveled driveway. He wasn't taking the bike this time, because Blaine had told him not to.

Apparently, Blaine had a whole plan figured out about the upcoming night. When Kurt had finally gotten enough courage to agree to the mischief (and to be honest, Kurt hadn't been able to resist the temptation of a night with alone with Blaine for long), Blaine had already been ahead of planning for God knows how long. All Kurt could do was agree to each plan boiled up, and smile because he knew that he would be safe with Blaine.

Blaine was already standing outside of the closed shop when Kurt arrived a few minutes too early. Blaine's face lit up in a huge smile when he saw Kurt, and Kurt felt the motion being reciprocated by himself. When they came up to each other, Blaine instantly wrapped his arms tightly around Kurt.

"I thought for a while that you'd been caught," Blaine breathed into his ear.

"No, it was all good," Kurt confirmed. "Just had to pack a little."

They pulled away from each other, but kept contact by lacing their hands together. But there was something ghosting over Blaine's face, a fear. "My dad wouldn't go to bed," he said quietly, almost sadly, but then there was a sudden twitch in the corner of his mouth, like he was trying not to smile. "I climbed out the window," he confessed.

"Oh, Blaine!" Kurt laughed, loudly into the still night. "Only you would do something like that."

"At least my bedroom is on ground floor, unlike yours." Blaine smirked.

"Lucky for you," Kurt retorted. Then he shot a suspicious glance at Blaine, who was trying not to grin. "You were totally enjoying it, weren't you?" Kurt accused.

The corners of Blaine's eyes crinkled as his smile grew. "It was amazing, Kurt!" he beamed, and Kurt couldn't keep his laughter. "I could be a ninja or something, I swear." He started pulling Kurt along, and the two walked down the street, destination unknown. To Kurt, at least.

"You, a ninja?" Kurt questioned. "You couldn't even keep from scaring the birds away when we went bird watching in the woods last spring. You stepped on every dry branch and kicked every rock. Oh, and you tripped on that root-" Kurt had to stop speaking when his laughter took over, shaking his chest and shoulders at the memory. Blaine's pouting lip and sullen look only made him laugh even more.

"Yeah, you laugh," Blaine muttered. "You weren't the one who couldn't use your foot for a week. Stupid root…"

Kurt felt a sudden pull in his hand as Blaine guided them off the road and into the dark woods. The line of trees grew so thickly that not even the moonlight could seep through, and the only thing that made Kurt feel less scared was to be right beside Blaine.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" Kurt whispered, fearing that he would upset some wild, mutated animal if he spoke too loudly.

"Of course, I go here all the time," Blaine said surely. "You're gonna love it, it's breathtaking." He looked back at Kurt's face, eyes wide, wet and tender. "I can't wait to share it with you."

Kurt felt his heart speed up at the sentiment. He didn't realize that they had stopped walking and were staring deeply into each other's eyes until Blaine pulled him along again.

One thing that surprised Kurt was how absolutely unruly Blaine's hair was. It was probably the humidity, but the hair looked curlier than Kurt had ever seen it. An instant passed where Kurt was seized by the need to reach up and run a hand through it, but he tried to shake it off. His fingers twitched where his hand hung limply at his side.

Before Kurt realized it, the forest was thinning until it cleared completely, giving room for a big field that reached as far as Kurt's eyes could reach. The sky above them was deep and hovering, and the stars and signs in the mass of space above them couldn't even be compared to the glimpse he can see outside of his window, through the treetops during the painted dark, black sky. Here it was all clear, the stars painted out like all of those maps Kurt had seen, but not believing that it could actually look that way in real life. But it truly did here.

"D'you wanna sit?" Blaine asked, watching Kurt peer up toward the glassy night sky.

"Sure," Kurt nodded, and waited while Blaine lay out a blanket on the dry grass. "Blaine, this is amazing."

"I'm glad you think so." Blaine murmured softly, keeping his gaze fixed on Kurt's eyes.

Kurt could feel his face heat up, but for once he didn't care. He was there at that amazing place with Blaine, Blaine, the person he cared about more than anything. Heat flared in his stomach as Blaine moved his hand along Kurt's arm, feather light to the touch. Their eyes met yet again, and Blaine's pupils were widely dilated and darker than the night.

Their faces were close, barely two inches apart because they had unconsciously been leaning forward. Blaine's warm and shaky breaths spilled over Kurt's face, and it made his mouth water. But before anything happened, Blaine suddenly blinked quickly a few times and pulled back. Kurt couldn't hide his disappointment, could feel it tint his features, and forced himself to turn away so that Blaine wouldn't notice.

"I think…" Blaine started saying, but got off track and shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Um… so what nice things do you have in that basket of yours?"

OoOoO

It was everything Kurt could ask for and more, just lying there with Blaine, gazing up to the sky and talking about all those small and wonderful things that don't really matter. Their stomachs were full of sandwiches and cookies, and both boys were content with lying beside each other, their arms between them barely touching. With every little twitch in Kurt's hand, the back of a knuckle would tickle Blaine's thumb. The little motion made his whole body spark with delight.

"Blaine?"

"Hmm?" the boy hummed in response.

"Where do you think you'll be ten years from now?"

Blaine rolled to his side, propped himself up on his elbow and rested his head in his palm. His eyes fluttered as he thought, eyelashes fanning the tender skin under his eyes, before his brow furrowed.

"I don't know. Why do you ask?"

Kurt shrugged where he was still lying on the blanket. "Just wondering."

With a cut nod, the lines on Blaine's face disappeared, making him look more at peace than before. Then he collapsed down onto his back again, stirring his eyes across the sky, but not really seeing, or perhaps seeing beyond what was truly there. His eyes were distant nonetheless. He folded his hands on his stomach, mindlessly tracing a finger over his knuckles, back and forth.

"I won't be here, I think," he said, so quietly that the night almost carried his voice away without being heard.

"Where do you wanna go?" Kurt asked curiously.

"I don't know," Blaine responded without hesitation. "I just know that it's not here. I mean, this can't be it, can it?"

"What do you mean?" Kurt urged gently when Blaine didn't continue. "Are you not happy?"

"I am," he assured quickly. "Kurt, don't think that I'm not, because I am. Really. I wish my life could be like this - like this summer - for the rest of my life, but I know it can't. But sometimes I just think that should be more. You and I, we go to school and educate and then live our lives for the short days of summer we're granted. But-"

"I'm sorry," Kurt excused as he interjected, "but you say you want there to be more because you're not happy but at the same time you are more happy than you could ever be? I'm confused."

"I mean," Blaine said, heaving himself up again, hovering over Kurt, "we're growing up, Kurt. I'm not stupid enough to know that things won't be like this forever, I know they won't. But does that mean that I can't wish they wouldn't?"

"I still don't understand," Kurt pushed, sitting up. "What does that have to do with leaving, and wanting more than you have now?"

"We live in a small town in South Carolina," Blaine said, like Kurt could have forgotten, "and even though my dream to live here my whole life, surrounded by nature and the constant calmness, I know that I can never be accepted here for who I truly am. There is so much ignorance and prejudice, and I can see it in their eyes, Kurt. Ever since I came out a couple of weeks ago, everyone looks at me differently. Even my dad. I can't stay here my whole life, being trapped in this environment, it's not good for me."

Kurt let his eyes wander across the field. He noticed the grass swaying lightly in the wind, the flies and mosquitoes buzzing nearby. He thought he saw movement at the edge of the forest, but a second later it was gone, and he thought he'd imagined it.

"And what about "there should be more"?" he asked, after processing what Blaine had said, somewhere understanding him completely, and relating to it in some aspects.

Strangely enough, Blaine smiled. "I keep waking up in the morning, realizing I'm dreaming the same dream over and over, almost every other day now." He paused, and put his hand over Kurt's where it rested on the blanket. "I see myself - although I'm not really me, I'm older - in a place where it's sunny. It doesn't matter if the sky is gray or if the rain is pouring, the image is always tinted yellow with sunlight. And… you're always with me."

Kurt stiffed and snapped his head at Blaine, searching his eyes carefully, but not knowing for what.

"I don't always see you," he explained, "but you're always there somehow. In my ears with your laugh, in my mind with your smile, in my heart… with your love. And I want that… your love."

Kurt felt like all the air was sucked out of his lungs, like there were bombs exploding in his stomach, like everything was finally being complete in that one moment. His mouth fell open at Blaine's sudden confession, and all he could think was that he wanted the same thing. He wanted to love and be loved by Blaine. The only thing stopping him before was the uncertainty of what Blaine felt, but it was no longer there. Everything was suddenly so easy. It finally felt like everything was the way it was supposed to be.

Kurt was about to respond with every single word his heart would let him utter in that moment, tell him that he felt exactly the same way, but he was stopped. Because this time he was certain that there was someone watching them by the edge of the trees. He turned his head involuntarily - saw Blaine's face drop before he turned as well - and narrowed his eyes to improve his vision. In the same moment that he saw the thing looking back at them, not a hundred feet away, he heard Blaine's "oh" as realization struck him, too. Kurt was about to speak when his mouth was covered with a hand, and Blaine leaned into his ear.

"This is why I brought you here," Blaine whispered, so quietly it was barely audible, just barely a breath. "This is the best part."

The doe, now gazing back at them fully with big brown eyes, had stopped moving to stare. It looked like it was calculating potential danger of the two boys, if it should run for its life or if it was safe to linger like it had planned to.

The two boys barely dared to breathe, sitting frozen still on the blanket, staring back. It was not until another rustle of leaves was heard that Kurt found the power to move his eyes around, and suddenly they were everywhere. He couldn't help the surprised gasp that escaped his lips when he saw them, at least five or six more, slowly emerging from the woods. They were so beautiful and graceful, and he almost forgot where he was when the first one staring at them started trudging toward them. It wasn't walking up to them per se, but it made long zigzag moves across the field until it came closer and closer.

Kurt looked over at Blaine to read his face, trying to deduce whether the doe was a threat to them or not. As if he'd read Kurt's mind, he slowly shook his head and smiled.

The seconds dragged out, almost painfully slowly. It felt to Kurt like he was in a dream, because it certainly couldn't be real that one of the does was standing just five feet away. Kurt tried to tell his heart to stop pounding, because it was so loud that he thought the doe must hear it and be scared off. Except it wasn't. The doe took two tentative steps forward, a curious look in its eyes.

It was so close that Kurt almost could touch it, and he wanted to. Without thinking much about it, he very slowly raised his hand. The motion caused the doe to jump high up in the air, leaping backwards from them. Kurt was about to lower his hand in defeat, but Blaine stopped him.

"Keep it there," he whispered, eyes focused on the doe that still seemed curious enough not to run away.

Kurt obliged, keeping his hand up for minutes. He tried fighting the lactic acid that was appearing, but it made the tip of his fingers tremble. The doe finally decided to stretch its neck as far as it could, until its nose was sniffing the tip of Kurt's index finger. The warm breath mixed with small and cold splashes of snot as it spread over Kurt's fingers. Kurt could feel his eyes growing as wide as the animal's in amazement.

Knowing that his arm would give in in any second, Kurt made a quick motion of turning his hand in an attempt to pet the doe's face. It wasn't as successful as he would've hoped. The doe caught up with him as soon as he moved, and abruptly pulled away. But as it pulled back, the underside of one of Kurt's fingers roughly poked the coarse fur at the side of its mouth. The doe was startled and decided the fun was over, and resembled lightning in the way it spurted back, jumpily, toward the other animals.

"That was amazing!" Kurt said breathlessly, as his mind sprung back into the moment.

"I think she likes you," Blaine said fondly.

"I can't believe it! Blaine, oh my god, what just happened? It feels like I'm dreaming, I'm-"

Kurt rambled, but he was effectively silenced as Blaine crashed his lips hard against Kurt's. Kurt whimpered in surprise at the sudden contact, but as the chock faded, he kissed Blaine back eagerly, moving his lips sloppily but with a strong hunger because this was what he'd really been wanting to do all along.

He placed a hand at the back of Blaine's neck, rubbing his fingers over the curls at the edge of his hair as he started sucking on Blaine's lower lip. Blaine moaned into his mouth as he let the tip of his tongue brush over the lip, devouring in the fullness of it. This was the first time he'd ever really kissed someone, but with the ease and with the help of Blaine it felt like he'd been doing it his whole life.

Blaine took control, placing his hands on either of Kurt's hips and tugging until Kurt gave way and laid back down on the ground, Blaine moving on top. He used his weight to straddle Kurt, positioning himself between his legs. He moved a hand to cup Kurt's cheek and dove in to deepen the kiss for a few lasting seconds. He groaned as he pulled away, grasping for air.

"What were you saying?" Blaine teased, smirking at Kurt's breathless and shocked expression.

"Oh, stop it," Kurt said, punching Blaine on the arm. Blaine rolled off him and down onto the blanket, laughing.

After a while, the laughter faded and silence remembered between them. For a while, Kurt thought that Blaine had fallen asleep, but when he turned over to look, his eyes were open and gazing upward.

"I want your love, too," Kurt heard himself say suddenly. It wasn't like it had slipped away from his tongue, uncertainly and without thinking it through, but like it had been on his mind for so long that he couldn't contain it any longer.

Blaine didn't look at him, and the only indication that he'd heard was the corners of his mouth pulling into a smile he tried to keep from being too big. Because he wanted to be that person who could hear such things without his face blushing and stomach fluttering with butterflies. He wanted it to be like he was used to hearing such wonderful things, because maybe that would mean that he was used to getting them. But he wasn't. So the corners of his mouth turned unmistakably upwards at Kurt's confirmation, because hearing something had never made him happier.

Too soon, the sky was brightening again, and the sun was splashing light by the horizon. The boys sighed, knowing that their fun was over for the night. They walked back through the woods, hand in hand, happy knowing that the other cared for them as much as they cared back. As if they hadn't always known.

It was almost bright by the time they said goodbye a few yards from Blaine's house, pressing their lips together softly in departure and a last squeeze of their hands. Kurt ran the rest of the way home, feeling a rush of adrenaline pounding through his body.

However, this changed as soon as his house came into sight. His heart nearly stopped in his chest - missing a beat, at least - as he saw his dad sitting in the hammock on the front porch, eyeing the yard. As soon as he spotted Kurt, he sprang up from his seat and called for Elizabeth.

"Where have you been, Kurt? Have you any idea of how worried we've been? We almost called the cops!"

Kurt rolled his eyes at his dad but sighed internally. How stupid he'd been, believing he could actually get away with sneaking out.

"Lucky for you, we called Blaine's folks," Burt continued, "and - we had to wake 'em, which I'm not happy about - but to them finding Blaine was'n home either."

"You did what?" Kurt burst, mouth hanging open. "Have you any idea of how much trouble he could get?"

"You are in trouble," Burt shot back.

"I was with Blaine, where else would I have been?" Kurt retorted obviously, feeling irritated. It was his own fault for making them worried, but it was their fault for ruining the end of the most perfect night he'd ever had.

"We figured," Burt grunted.

"Sweetie," Elizabeth said, pulling Kurt into a hug. "Dad and I were just worried that something had happened to you."

"It never does, so stop worrying!" Kurt pulled out of his mom's arms and pushed through the front door. His parents were following close behind.

"Son, you don't get to talk like that to us, not after the night we just had."

"Then can we talk tomorrow?" Kurt turned abruptly halfway up the stairs, "because the more you talk the more you keep ruining the best night of my life!" He finished off, practically yelling at his dad and running up the stairs.

"Yeah, then we can talk about how grounded you are!" Burt yelled back, his sentence being cut off by Kurt violently slamming his bedroom door shut.

"Honey, relax," Elizabeth urged, placing a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder. "Nothing good can come from yelling, especially not when he's upset. Let's just go back to bed and let him sleep, and we'll talk to him in the morning. Okay?"

Burt nodded, covering Elizabeth's hand with his own. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Lizzie. I really don't know what goes through that kid's head most of the time."

"Oh, Burt," Elizabeth sighed happily, "don't you remember what it was like to be young and in love?"

"In love?" Burt yelped.

Elizabeth's brow furrowed. "You think Kurt, or sweet little boy, could keep from falling in love with his best friend, did you? I wouldn't be surprised if Blaine felt the same way."

"Blaine?"

"Yeah, he's gay, too. You didn't know?" Burt's eyes widened at the news, and Elizabeth took it as an answer. "He came out to Jenny and Robert last week, she told me. You really didn't know?"

Burt kept staring with wide eyes, pointing at his face. "Is this the face of someone in the know?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, and hummed. "Wow, I guess not." She tiptoed up to lay a kiss to her husband's cheek. "So give him some slack tomorrow, will you? I doubt that he'll keep from doing more foolish things with that boy no matter what we do."

"I suppose," Burt murmured, and let his wife grab his hand and drag him back up to their bedroom. As they passed Kurt's closed bedroom door, Burt felt a smile flash across his lips. As he looked at Lizzie, he saw that she was smiling too. She put a finger against her lips in a silencing motion as they sneaked back into their bedroom. Maybe not to sleep, but to lay in each other's arms as it got brighter and brighter outside, in silent wonder of what amazing son they had.

So maybe their family wasn't perfect. But it felt in that moment, to Burt and Elizabeth, that they were pretty darn close.


End file.
